Method for synchronizing a rich media action with an audiovisual change, corresponding device and computer software, method for generating a rich media presentation and corresponding computer software

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method for synchronizing an action in a piece of Rich Media® content with a change in a piece of audiovisual content, said Rich Media® and audiovisual content being part of a Rich Media® presentation. According to the invention, the method comprises the following steps: obtaining a piece of information representative of said change in said piece of audiovisual content, or change information; synchronizing an action in said piece of Rich Media® content with said change, said synchronization step including the following substeps: converting said change information into a Rich Media® event; detecting said event by at least one Rich Media® object of said presentation; triggering said action in said presentation on the basis of said detected event.

CLAIM FOR PRIORITY

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/631,688, filed Feb. 25, 2015, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 14/316,693, filed Jun. 26, 2014, which is acontinuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/810,015, filed Aug. 24,2010, which is a National Stage of International Application No.PCT/EP2008/067796, filed Dec. 17, 2008, which claims the priority ofFrench Patent Application No. 0760321, filed Dec. 21, 2007, the entirecontents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field of the invention is that of “Rich Media”® technologies, andmore specifically “Rich Media”® presentations, including graphic format,text, interactive features, animations and media (images and audiovisualstreams), for playback on a user terminal.

More specifically, the invention relates to a technique forsynchronizing changes in the audiovisual part of such a presentationwith changes in the pure “Rich Media”® part (i.e. the part includinggraphic format in particular and the handling thereof and interactivefeatures, but not media handling).

PRIOR ART

In a “Rich Media”® presentation containing a reference to a videostream, in the majority of cases, the pure “Rich Media”® part isprovided and handled by a “Rich Media”® server, also known as apresentation server, and the audiovisual part is handled by a videoserver, also known as a streaming server, and sent to the terminal.

Since these two servers are separate, they do not have the same timereference and cannot be synchronized together. Therefore, the contentsupplied by both servers is also unsuitable for synchronization.

It is thus difficult to perfectly align, in terms of the user, a “RichMedia”® change with an event occurring during the video streambroadcast.

For example, a “Rich Media”® presentation containing a reference to avideo stream is considered. The user views the video stream (supplied bythe streaming server) on the user terminal, along with some “RichMedia”® information, such as the number and/or logo of the channelbroadcast the video stream, supplied by the presentation server. Whenthe user changes channels to view another piece of video content, he/sheexpects the “Rich Media”® information relating to the change of channelalso to be displayed, along with the information relating to the newchannel when the video change has taken place.

However, because the streaming and presentation servers are notsynchronized, it is difficult, for the creator of the “Rich Media”®presentation, to know when to make the change in the “Rich Media”®scene, on the basis of the change in the video.

The change in the video may be a semantic change (for example, switchfrom a film to an advertisement sequence or conversely) or an optimisedchannel change. An optimised channel change may be made as follows: thestreaming server substitutes the images from the next channel for thoseof the previous channel in the existing video stream, without informingthe presentation server. The presentation server thus does not havespecific information indicating when to change the channel number/logo.

A first technique consists of making this change when the video streamchange request is sent from the present server to the streaming server.One drawback of this technique lies in the fact that the reaction timeof the streaming server to change the video stream is not taken intoaccount, and the channel number/logo is systematically changed too earlyin relation to the actual video stream change. Therefore, for a brieftime, the user has channel information not corresponding to the videoviewed on the screen.

A second technique consists of changing the channel number/logo after apredetermined interval following the transmission of the video streamchange request from the presentation server to the streaming server.This interval corresponds to an estimation of the streaming serverreaction time, but cannot take into consideration the networktransmission conditions, causing variations in the streaming serverreaction time.

Therefore, this solution is likewise not optimal for the user in termsof consistency between the video stream and the “Rich Media”®information displayed on the user's terminal.

In the event of a change in the video not triggered by a user action,such as the switch from a film sequence to an advertisement sequence,neither of the above two techniques work and the applicable heuristicsare even more uncertain. One technique may for example consist ofpreparing a mean delay calculation on the video input path, and asimilar calculation on the mean delay in the scene information, andsubsequently synchronizing the change of scene. However, this techniqueincludes cumulative uncertainties on the video input, the scene inputand the deviation between the video server and the scene server.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention proposes a novel solution which does not involve all thedrawbacks of the prior art, in the form of a method for synchronizing anaction in a piece of “Rich Media”® content with a change in a piece ofaudiovisual content, said “Rich Media”® and audiovisual content beingpart of a “Rich Media”® presentation.

According to the invention, such a method comprises the following steps:

-   -   obtaining a piece of information representative of said change        in said piece of audiovisual content, called change information;    -   synchronizing an action in said piece of “Rich Media”® content        with said change, said synchronization step comprising the        following sub-steps:        -   converting said change information into a “Rich Media”®            event;        -   detecting said event by at least one “Rich Media”® object of            said presentation;        -   triggering said action in said presentation on the basis of            said detected event.

The invention is thus based on a novel and inventive approach forsynchronizing, in a “Rich Media”® presentation, “Rich Media”® actionswith changes in an audiovisual stream, or content, referenced in said“Rich Media”® presentation, and sent by a separate entity, for examplean audiovisual broadcast server.

Indeed, the method according to the invention makes it possible toindicate, in a manner suitable for interpretation by the “Rich Media”®objects in the present, a change in an audiovisual stream, sent by anaudiovisual broadcast server, so as to synchronize a “Rich Media”®action with this change in the audiovisual stream.

The change information in the stream obtained is first processed by anaudiovisual/“Rich Media”® interface object in the “Rich Media”®presentation, also referred to a “video” object, particularly suitablefor decoding and displaying the images from the audiovisual stream inthe “Rich Media”® presentation on a user terminal viewing thepresentation.

This “video” object triggers a “Rich Media”® event upon obtaining thischange information. This “Rich Media”® event is of a specific type,specific for synchronizing an audiovisual stream change with a “RichMedia”® action.

One or a plurality of “Rich Media”® objects, also referred to asinteractive objects, are programmed in the presentation to monitor forsuch events triggered by a “video” object, and to be activated upon thedetection of such events.

In this way, when such an interactive object detects the event triggeredby the “video” object, the interactive object is activated and the “RichMedia”® action linked with the change in the audiovisual stream isimplemented.

The “Rich Media”® action is thus performed synchronously with the changein the stream indicated by the change information.

According to one embodiment of the invention, said change information issent via said piece of audiovisual content.

The piece of audiovisual content reference in the “Rich Media”®presentation, and sent for example by an audiovisual broadcast server,thus comprises, in addition to the specific data for the audiovisualcontent, and the conventional audiovisual stream signalling data, datarepresentative of a change, referred to as change information, in thestream in question.

For example, this change information is sent at the same time as thefirst image following the change in the stream (a change of content forexample). This change information may be a mere predetermined indicator,merely indicating that there is a change in the stream, or a morecomplex indicator specifying or giving information on the type of changein the stream, or information on the type of actions to be implementedin relation to this change in the stream.

According to one alternative embodiment, said obtaining step usesreading of an indicator representing said change information inserted insaid piece of audiovisual content.

The audiovisual stream may thus contain an indicator giving access to apiece of change information sent elsewhere in the stream, such as apointer comprising a reading address in the stream, where the changeinformation can be found.

According to a further embodiment, said change information is based on acomparison of a piece of time-stamp information associated with saidpresentation with the current time-stamp of said piece of audiovisualcontent.

According to this embodiment, the change information corresponds to apositive result from comparing two pieces of time-stamp information, thefirst being known from the presentation, and the second corresponding tothe current time-stamp of the audiovisual stream.

For example, the first piece of time-stamp information is sent by anaudiovisual broadcast server, which also sends the audiovisual streamconcerned by a change, to the terminal of the user viewing thepresentation, for example via a presentation server handling the “RichMedia”® presentation.

This piece of time-stamp information corresponds to a time tag of a timein the stream. If the change in the stream corresponds to a change ofcontent, for example following a user request, the time tag maycorrespond to the first image of the new piece of content.

The second piece of time-stamp information corresponds to the currenttime-stamp of the audiovisual stream, for example the time tag of thecurrent image being decoded and displayed in the “Rich Media”®presentation.

In this embodiment, the first piece of time-stamp information issuitable for interpretation by the “video” object, which is also capableof determining the time tag of each image which it decodes and displaysin the “Rich Media”® presentation. This “video” object compares thefirst piece of time-stamp information with the current time-stampinformation, to determine a piece of information representative of thechange in the stream, at the time when both time tags coincide.

Once this change information is determined, the rest of the processingaccording to the synchronization method is the same as for the firstembodiment, i.e. triggering of a specific event by the “video” object,detection of said event by an interactive object and the implementationof the corresponding action.

According to a specific feature of the invention, said changeinformation also comprises at least one piece of informationrepresentative of said action in said piece of “Rich Media”® content,called action information.

The change information thus not only makes it possible to indicate achange in the stream, but to give indications on the action(s) to beimplemented in relation to said change of the stream.

In particular, said action information belongs to the group comprising:

-   -   URN (“Uniform Resource Name”);    -   URI (“Uniform Resource Identifier”);    -   URL (“Uniform Resource Locator”).

When the interactive object is activated, it thus resolves the actioninformation, for example a URL, to implement the requested action.

A further aspect of the invention relates to a device for synchronizingan action in a piece of “Rich Media”® content with a change in a pieceof audiovisual content, said “Rich Media”® and audiovisual content beingpart of a “Rich Media”® presentation.

According to the invention, such a device comprises:

-   -   means for obtaining a piece of information representative of        said change in said piece of audiovisual content, called change        information;    -   means for synchronizing an action in said piece of “Rich Media”®        content with said change, said synchronization means comprising:        -   means for converting said change information into a “Rich            Media”® event;        -   means for detecting said event by at least one “Rich Media”®            object of said presentation;        -   triggering said action in said presentation on the basis of            said detected event.

Such a transmission device is particularly suitable for implementing thesynchronization method described above.

The invention also relates to a computer software product downloadablefrom a communication network and/or saved on a medium that can be readby a computer and/or run by a processor, comprising program codeinstructions for the implementation of the synchronization methoddescribed above.

A further aspect of the invention relates to a method for creating a“Rich Media”® presentation comprising at least one piece of audiovisualcontent and at least one piece of “Rich Media”® content.

According to the invention, the creation method comprises the followingsteps:

-   -   triggering, by at least one audiovisual/“Rich Media”® interface        object, of at least one event representative of a change in said        piece of audiovisual content;    -   creating at least one “Rich Media”® object suitable for        detecting said at least one event;    -   activating said “Rich Media”® object upon detection of said at        least one event;    -   associating at least one action with the activation of said        “Rich Media”® object.

The method for creating a “Rich Media”® presentation according to theinvention thus makes it possible to implement an action in thepresentation, in relation with an event representative of a change in anaudiovisual stream referenced in the “Rich Media”® presentation.

This action is particularly implemented following the activation of anobject particularly programmed to monitor for such an event.

The invention also relates to a computer software product downloadablefrom a communication network and/or saved on a medium that can be readby a computer and/or run by a processor, comprising program codeinstructions for the implementation of the creation method describedabove.

LIST OF FIGURES

Further features and advantages of the invention will emerge moreclearly on reading the following description of a particular embodiment,given merely as an illustrative and non-limitative example, and theappended figures wherein:

FIG. 1 shows the main steps of the method according to one embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a functional diagram of a first alternativeembodiment of the embodiment in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates a functional diagram of a second alternativeembodiment of the embodiment in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4a and 4b show an example of application of the method accordingto the two alternative embodiments of the invention illustrated in FIGS.2 and 3, at the client receiver end;

DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

1. General Principle

The general principle of the invention is based on obtaining a piece ofinformation representative of a change in an audiovisual stream and theprocessing of this piece of information by a plurality of objects of the“Rich Media”® presentation so as to synchronize an action in thepresentation with the change in the audiovisual stream.

The method according to the invention thus makes it possible to remedythe problem of the difference in the time reference between theaudiovisual stream and the “Rich Media”® presentation and thussynchronize a change made at a time t in the audiovisual stream with a“Rich Media”® action in the presentation.

2. Description of an Embodiment

The main steps of the synchronization method according to an embodimentof the invention will now be described with reference to FIG. 1.

The synchronization between a change in an audiovisual stream referencedin a “Rich Media”® presentation and an action in the presentationcomprises a first step 10 for obtaining a piece of informationrepresentative of a change in the audiovisual stream.

This information is then processed during a synchronization step 11,comprising the sub-steps described below.

This change information is first converted, during a step 110, into aspecific “Rich Media”® event.

This event is then detected, during a step 111, by an RM object, alsoreferred to as an interactive object, causing the activation of thisinteractive object in the presentation.

This activation corresponds to the implementation, during a step 112, ofan action in the presentation, in relation to the change in theaudiovisual stream.

This embodiment is described in more detail below, with reference to aplurality of alternative embodiments and application examples.

2.1 First Alternative Embodiment

According to a first alternative of the embodiment described above,illustrated in FIG. 2, the piece of information representative of thechange in the audiovisual stream is sent via the audiovisual stream.

In the system in question, a presentation server 20 handles the “RichMedia”® part of the “Rich Media”® presentation and an audiovisualbroadcast server 21 supplies the audiovisual stream(s) corresponding tosaid presentation.

This “Rich Media”® presentation is played back on a terminal or clientreceiver 22.

According to this alternative embodiment, the piece of informationrepresentative of a change 211 in the audiovisual stream is sent via theaudiovisual stream 210, by the audiovisual broadcast server 21.

This information 211 lets the terminal 22 know that the action to beperformed in the presentation should be performed when the informationis read, so as to be synchronous with the change.

For example, this information 211 corresponds to a specific value which,when read by an audiovisual/“Rich Media”® interface object triggers aspecific event, hereinafter referred to as a type A event.

In the “Rich Media”® presentation, one (or a plurality of) “Rich Media”®object(s), also referred to as interactive objects, is programmed tomonitor for type A events.

When one of these events takes place, the interactive object is thenactivated, triggering the action corresponding to the change in theaudiovisual stream.

2.2 Second Alternative Embodiment

According to a second alternative of the embodiment described above,illustrated in FIG. 3, the piece of information representative of thechange in the audiovisual stream is not sent via the audiovisual streambut is based on a comparison between a known piece of time-stampinformation from the “Rich Media”® presentation and the currenttime-stamp of the audiovisual stream.

For example, the change of the audiovisual stream corresponds to achange of source channel, or a change of television channel. Theaudiovisual broadcast server 21, which implements this change of channel(upon terminal request for example), knows the time-stamp of the changeof channel. This time-stamp corresponds for example to the time tag 30of the first image of the new channel.

The broadcast server 21 sends the presentation server 20 the time tag 30of the change in the audiovisual stream 31 and sends the audiovisualstream 31 to the client receiver 22.

The presentation server 20 sends the client receiver 22 the time tag 30,which is then sent to the audiovisual/“Rich Media”® interface object.

This interface object is responsible for comparing this time tag 30 withthe current time-stamp of the audiovisual stream for which it decodesand displays the images.

When the time tag 30 corresponds to the current time-stamp, the imagebeing decoded and displayed is the first image of the new channel.

The interface object then triggers a specific event, for example type Aas in the first alternative embodiment.

The interactive object programmed to monitor for type A events is thenactivated upon receipt of this event generated by the interface object,and the action corresponding to the change in the audiovisual stream istriggered.

3. Description of an Example of Application

A further example of application relates to the display of anadvertisement during the broadcast of an audiovisual stream, for examplea film.

The audiovisual broadcast server makes the changes between the film andthe advertisement, and the advertisement and the film, these changesbeing “transparent” for the presentation server, which receives anaudiovisual stream, regardless of the content (film or advertisement).

However, the “Rich Media”® presentation containing the reference to saidaudiovisual stream should display specific information for the user,particularly during the broadcast of the advertisement (for exampleinteractive on-line purchasing information, or personalised informationassociated with the content of the advertisement).

The method according to the invention thus enables the “Rich Media”®presentation to determine the advertisement start time, so as to displaythe specific information thereof instead of the film information, andthe advertisement end time, so as to return to a display correspondingto the broadcast of the film.

FIGS. 4a and 4b illustrate this example of application of the invention,according to the first and second alternative embodiments describedabove, from the client end.

The client receiver plays back, over time, the presentations 40, 41 and42. These presentations comprise references to an audiovisual stream,respectively a film (40), an advertisement (41) and the rest of the film(42), and a “Rich Media”® part, for example to display the channel logand for the interactive information linked with the advertisementbroadcast.

According to the first alternative embodiment (FIG. 4a ), a piece ofinformation representative of a first change in the audiovisual streamis sent by the broadcast server, at the same time as the audiovisualstream. This information, referred to as change information 1,corresponds to the start of the advertisement and is received by thepresentation server at the same time as the audiovisual advertisementstream, at the time T1. This information is sent to theaudiovisual/“Rich Media”® interface object of the presentation, which inturn triggers a specific event (for example, “advert start” event), toactivate an interactive object of the presentation specificallyprogrammed to monitor for these specific events, as described above withreference to FIG. 1.

The activation of the interactive object corresponds in this case to a“Rich Media”® type 1 action (referred to as action RM 1), for examplethe display of information relating to the advertisement broadcast(on-line purchase offer, price, special offer information, etc.).

The principle is the same for the switch from the advertisement to thefilm (either the rest of the film previously broadcast or another film).A second piece of change information, referred to as change information2, is sent by the audiovisual broadcast server. This information, whichcorresponds to the end of the advertisement, is received by thepresentation server at the same time as the audiovisual film stream, atthe time T2. This information is sent to the audiovisual/“Rich Media”®interface object of the presentation, which in turn triggers a specificevent (for example, “film_start” event), to activate an interactiveobject of the presentation specifically programmed to monitor for thesespecific events, as described above with reference to FIG. 1.

The activation of the interactive object corresponds in this case to a“Rich Media”® type 2 action (referred to as action RM 2), for examplethe display of information relating to the film broadcast (option toobtain information on the film, the actors in the film, other broadcasttimes, etc.).

According to the second alternative embodiment (FIG. 4b ), two pieces ofinformation representative respectively of both changes described aresent by the broadcast server to the presentation server. These twopieces of information may be sent in the form of a single data item,comprising both pieces of information, or two data items, eachcomprising one piece of change information.

These pieces of change information correspond to time tags of the timewhen the change takes place in the audiovisual stream. In our example,the first time tag corresponds to the first image in the advertisement(time T1), and the second piece of change information corresponds to thefirst image of the film broadcast after the advertisement (time T1).

These two time tags are sent by the presentation server to theaudiovisual/“Rich Media”® interface object of the presentation.

As the audiovisual stream is broadcast, this interface object comparesthese time tags with the time tag of the image currently being decodedand displayed.

At the time T1, the interface object compares the time tag of the firstimage of the advertisement, with the time tag T1, also corresponding tothe first image of the advertisement. The result of the comparison isthus positive, and the interface object triggers a specific event (forexample, “advert start” event), to activate an interactive object of thepresentation specifically programmed to monitor for these specificevents, as described above with reference to FIG. 1.

Then, as described above in the first alternative embodiment, theactivation of the interactive object corresponds to a “Rich Media”® type1 action (referred to as action RM 1), for example the display ofinformation relating to the advertisement broadcast (on-line purchaseoffer, price, special offer information, etc.).

Similarly, during the broadcast of the advertisement, the interfaceobject continues to compare the time tag of each image decoded anddisplayed with the second time tag (tag 2).

When, at the time T2, the interface object compares the time tag of thefirst image of the film, at the end of the advertisement, with the timetag T2, also corresponding to the first image of the film, the result ofthe comparison is positive. The interface object then triggers aspecific event (for example, “film_start” event), to activate aninteractive object of the presentation specifically programmed tomonitor for these specific events, as described above with reference toFIG. 1.

The activation of the interactive object corresponds, as described abovefor the first alternative embodiment, to a “Rich Media”® type 2 action(referred to as action RM 2), for example the display of informationrelating to the film broadcast (option to obtain information on thefilm, the actors in the film, other broadcast times, etc.).

These two actions RM 1 and RM 2 may be programmed in the “Rich Media”®presentation, and thus known to the interactive object, which implementsthese actions when activated. For example, it is assumed that an objectis programmed to display advertisement information when it is activatedfollowing the detection of an “advert start” type event. A furtherobject may be programmed to display information on a film when it isactivated following the detection of a “film_start” type event.

In one alternative embodiment of this example of application, there aretwo interactive objects and not only one, each being responsible for oneof the two actions.

These specific information display actions, or any other type of actionsimplemented in the presentation, synchronously with a change in anaudiovisual stream, may be configured via a URN (“Uniform ResourceName”), a URI (“Uniform Resource Identifier”) or a URL (“UniformResource Locator”).

For example, the event triggered by the audiovisual/“Rich Media”®interface object has an attribute containing a URL, referring to thespecific information to be displayed (in relation to the advertisementor the film). The interactive object resolves the URL when activatedupon detection of the event, and the specific information is thusdisplayed, when the change is made in the audiovisual stream.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, comprising: obtaining changeinformation including a time tag associated with a time of a change tonew audiovisual content in an audiovisual content stream; synchronizingan action in a piece of media content with the change, thesynchronization comprising: converting the change information into amedia event by comparing the time tag associated with the time of thechange to the new audiovisual content with a current time stamp of acurrently decoded and displayed image of the audiovisual content stream;detecting the media event by at least one media object of a mediapresentation, the media presentation including the new audiovisualcontent and the media content; and triggering the action in the mediapresentation on the basis of the detected media event.
 2. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the change information including the timetag is received from a presentation server after being transmitted tothe presentation server from a broadcast server, and the audiovisualcontent stream is received from the broadcast server, wherein thebroadcast server is different than the presentation server.
 3. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein the change information includesaction information representative of the action in the piece of mediacontent.
 4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the actioninformation includes at least one of a URN (“Uniform Resource Name”), aURI (“Uniform Resource Identifier”), and a URL (“Uniform ResourceLocator”).
 5. The method according to claim 1, further comprisingcreating the media presentation, comprising: triggering, by at least oneaudiovisual interface object or media interface object, the media eventrepresentative of the change in the audiovisual content stream; creatingthe at least one media object suitable for detecting the media event;activating the at least one media object upon detection of the mediaevent; associating the action with the activation of the at least onemedia object.
 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the change tothe new audiovisual content includes a change between a first sequenceand a second sequence, and the first sequence includes an advertisementsequence.
 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the secondsequence includes a film sequence.
 8. The method according to claim 1,wherein the change to the new audiovisual content includes a change of achannel and the change of the channel includes a change of sourcechannel.
 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the change to thenew audiovisual content includes a change of a channel, and the changeof the channel includes substituting images from a next channel forthose of a previous channel in the audiovisual content stream.
 10. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein when the time tag associated withthe time of the change to the new audiovisual content coincides with thecurrent time stamp of the currently decoded and displayed image of theaudiovisual content stream.
 11. A computer program product embodied on anon-transitory computer readable medium, comprising computer code for:obtaining change information including a time tag associated with a timeof a change to new audiovisual content in an audiovisual content stream;synchronizing an action in a piece of media content with the change, thesynchronization comprising: converting the change information into amedia event by comparing the time tag associated with the time of thechange to the new audiovisual content with a current time stamp of acurrently decoded and displayed image of the audiovisual content stream;detecting the media event by at least one media object of a mediapresentation, the media presentation including the new audiovisualcontent and the media content; and triggering the action in the mediapresentation on the basis of the detected media event.
 12. The computerprogram product according to claim 11, wherein the computer programproduct is operable such that the change information including the timetag is received from a presentation server after being transmitted tothe presentation server from a broadcast server, and the audiovisualcontent stream is received from the broadcast server, wherein thebroadcast server is different than the presentation server.
 13. Thecomputer program product according to claim 11, wherein the computerprogram product is operable such that the change information includesaction information representative of the action in the piece of mediacontent.
 14. The computer program product according to claim 13, whereinthe computer program product is operable such that the actioninformation includes at least one of a URN (“Uniform Resource Name”), aURI (“Uniform Resource Identifier”), and a URL (“Uniform ResourceLocator”).
 15. The computer program product according to claim 11,further comprising creating the media presentation, comprising computercode for: triggering, by at least one audiovisual interface object ormedia interface object, the media event representative of the change inthe audiovisual content stream; creating the at least one media objectsuitable for detecting the media event; activating the at least onemedia object upon detection of the media event; associating the actionwith the activation of the at least one media object.
 16. The computerprogram product according to claim 11, wherein the computer programproduct is operable such that the change to the new audiovisual contentincludes a change between a first sequence and a second sequence, andthe first sequence includes an advertisement sequence.
 17. The computerprogram product according to claim 16, wherein the computer programproduct is operable such that the second sequence includes a filmsequence.
 18. The computer program product according to claim 11,wherein the computer program product is operable such that the change tothe new audiovisual content includes a change of a channel and thechange of the channel includes a change of source channel.
 19. Thecomputer program product according to claim 11, wherein the computerprogram product is operable such that the change to the new audiovisualcontent includes a change of a channel, and the change of the channelincludes substituting images from a next channel for those of a previouschannel in the audiovisual content stream.
 20. A system comprising: amemory system; and one or more processing cores coupled to the memorysystem and that are each configured for: obtaining change informationincluding a time tag associated with a time of a change to newaudiovisual content in an audiovisual content stream; synchronizing anaction in a piece of media content with the change, the synchronizationcomprising: converting the change information into a media event bycomparing the time tag associated with the time of the change to the newaudiovisual content with a current time stamp of a currently decoded anddisplayed image of the audiovisual content stream; detecting the mediaevent by at least one media object of a media presentation, the mediapresentation including the new audiovisual content and the mediacontent; and triggering the action in the media presentation on thebasis of the detected media event.